Center for Ethnic Studies Research

PRIDE: A Brief History and Proud Legacy.
On June 28, 1969, at a gay bar in NYC called the Stonewall Inn on Christopher St., a police raid turned into a 6-day riot as patrons resisted arrest and others joined in.
A year later, the Christopher Street Liberation Day March marked the 1st Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, and became NYC’s first Pride Parade.
Stonewall became a flashpoint that solidified the LGTBQIA+ Community as never before.
The crack where the light shone through.
A light that became PRIDE.
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Happy Pride Month from CESR!

Pride at Pitt Events:

June 7, Kick-off Pride Month by participating in the Pittsburgh Pride 2026 March and Parade! Registered Pitt folks get a free t-shirt to wear and swag to distribute along the route. Link: https://calendar.pitt.edu/event/pittsburgh-pride-march-2026
June 24
Pride on the Patio! The University's annual resource faire for the LGTBQIA+ community and allies from both on-and-off campus organizations. For more information, including tabling and vending (deadline is June 3), check out this link: https://calendar.pitt.edu/event/pride-on-the-patio-3712


Sponsored by the University Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing Pitt Office of Institutional Engagement & Wellbeing

In memory of all who have fallen in service of the United States, especially AANHPI, Hispanic, Latinx, Black, African American, African Diaspora, and Native American service members. We would like to share a few of their stories.
Corporal Joseph Pierce, an Asian American who fought in the American Civil War.
Captain Francis B. Wai, a Native Hawaiian who fought in World War II for Allied Forces.
Private David Bennes Barkley Cantu, a Hispanic American soldier, drowned on an intelligence mission for Allied Forces in World War I.
Corporal Freddie Stowers, the grandson of enslaved African Americans, was drafted into WWI in 1917.
Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, a Hopi Native American in the U.S. Army serving in Iraq, became the first woman Native American to die on foreign soil.
We know there are many more stories to be shared. These are just a few.
You are welcome to comment with a story of a fallen service member you would like to share.
Sources: chrome-extensio://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.alexandriava.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/chinese-american-attic-5-16-2024.pdf
https://www.thenmusa.org/biographies/francis-b-wai/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_B._Barkley
https://andersoncountymuseum.sc.gov/corporal-freddie-stowers-2003-hall-fame
https://www.thenmusa.org/biographies/lori-ann-piestewa/

The The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is hosting a Sunday Fun Day: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration on May 17, 2026 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. More information at https://thewestmoreland.org/event/sunday-fun-day-aapi-2026/

Sunday Fun Day: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration – The Westmoreland Museum of American Art Fun event for the whole family!

May is national Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month in the United States! CESR celebrates and uplifts AANHPI voices and communities. Throughout the month of May, we will connect you to AANHPI events, resources, and history.

Are you a part of East Liberty, Garfield, Larimer, or Homewood? Do you have any special memories or stories from living in Pittsburgh? Do you have photographs that you would like to share?
We would like you to join us in our community-based initiative that brings together residents from East Liberty, Garfield, Larimer, and Homewood to create work through creative writing (spoken word, poetry, or personal storytelling), sound, and photography. The project centers participants’ lived experiences and relationships to place, creating space for personal narratives that reflect the cultural, social, and historical dimensions of these neighborhoods.

Your work will be a part of a public exhibition in the community, highlighting the voices that have helped shape these neighborhoods!

Apply by May 17th!
Link to apply:
https://forms.gle/2XeugBiUYCZMrKg5A
Also in our instagram bio!

This project is facilitated by Guilherme M. Yazbek, reach out to them at:
[email protected]

For ages 14 and up.

This project is supported by the Duolingo Community Arts Program (2026).

As we bring this year's LatinxConnect Conference to a close, we are filled with profound gratitude. To every panelist, moderator, and presenter — thank you for the gift of your time, your wisdom, and your voice. You are the heartbeat of this gathering, and your contributions have left a lasting impression on all of us.

This year's theme, "The Pulse of Hope: Power and Praxis (El Pulso de la Esperanza: Poder y Praxis)," was not simply a title — it was a living thread woven through every presentation, every conversation, and every moment of connection we shared today. Our presenters brought this theme to life with courage and clarity, grounding hope not in wishful thinking, but in action — in the everyday work of building, healing, and sustaining our communities. They reminded us that power and praxis are inseparable: that knowledge finds its fullest meaning when it is put to work in service of others.

We were also deeply moved by the organizations represented here today — organizations that do not just talk about community, but embody it in all that they do. Their presence and work are a testament to what is possible when commitment meets purpose. Together, they reflect the very pulse of hope this conference celebrates.

Moments like these remind us why community matters — why we come together to learn, to listen, and to lift one another. The conversations shared today carry us forward with renewed purpose and the collective strength of a thriving Latinx community.
LatinxConnect is made possible through the generous support of our co-sponsoring partners: the Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing, PittGlobal/University Center for International Studies (UCIS), and Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice (CCRRJ). We are deeply grateful for their commitment and collaboration.

On behalf of the LatinxConnect Conference 2026 Committee:
Dr. David Tenorio, Associate Professor — Department of Spanish & Portuguese
Dr. Dalia Caraballo Muller, Director — Center for Ethnic Studies Research (CESR)
Dr. Keila Grinberg, Director — Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS)
Luis Vanfossen Bravo, Associate Director — Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS)
Doreen Hernández, Associate Director — Center for Ethnic Studies Research (CESR)
Luz Amanda Hank, Assistant Director for Partnerships and Programming — Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS)
Zachary Davis, Director of Engagement and Wellbeing Programs — Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing
Pitt Students & Staff
We look forward to staying connected and hearing from you — thank you, and be well!
Write us your own reflection: [email protected]

April 17th Events:

Emerging Latino Communities Conversations & Latinx:
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hybrid
Please join us for a special edition of Emerging Latino Communities Conversations as part of the 2026 LatinxConnect Conference. Our speaker will be Michael Thornhill, AfroCuban writer, speaker, and recovering DEI practitioner whose work braids together cultural analysis, personal narrative, and incisive critique.

Beyond the Tropical: Curating Puerto Rican Art:
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Online
Please join us for a special edition of Emerging Latino Communities Conversations as part of the 2026 LatinxConnect Conference. Our speaker will be Michael Thornhill, AfroCuban writer, speaker, and recovering DEI practitioner whose work braids together cultural analysis, personal narrative, and incisive critique.

Latinx Bliss: Q***r & Trans Joy as Praxis:
2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Online
In an era where the lives of q***r and trans Latinx individuals are frequently framed through the lenses of legal precarity, social death, and colonial displacement, what does it mean to center joyful bliss as a revolutionary act?

April 16th Events:

Immigration Law in Turbulent Times
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Barco Law Building, Moot Courtroom (Hybrid)

As the Trump administration prioritizes broad enforcement of immigration law, courts are being asked to identify the limits of immigration law. In this lecture, César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández will discuss the legal challenge posed by the Trump administration’s approaches to immigration law enforcement and citizenship.

Latinx Power at the Intersections: The Case of Pittsburgh
1:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
4130 Posvar Hall (Hybrid)

As part of our Border-to-Border Series at Pitt, this panel brings the global conversation about borders into a local, lived context. While borders are often discussed as lines on a map, Latinx communities experience them daily as barriers to health, economic stability, mental well-being, and belonging.

Latin Student Voices in Action
3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
4130 Posvar Hall (Hybrid)

This panel, facilitated by the Latin American Graduate Organization of Students (LAGOS), brings together Latinx student organizations to highlight how they are turning ideas into action across campuses and communities.

Book Launch Event
5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
4130 Posvar Hall (Hybrid)

We are delighted to invite you to the book launch of Q***r Relajo by David Tenorio — an exciting new work that promises to spark conversation and community.

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER
REGISTER IN THE LINK IN OUR BIO< OR USING THE LINK BELOW
https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9QzwUmaO4J39mJg

LatinX Alumni Gathering:
April 15th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
4203 Posvar

Latinx Alumni, Current Students, and Allies are invited to come mix and mingle at LatinxConnect 2026! This is a special opportunity to share your story, build relationships, and keep our community thriving- exactly the way we always have.

Refreshments will be provided

Register first, link in our page bio!

The Latinx Connect Conference is an annual gathering that aims to move beyond simply "celebrating" Latinx identity, instead calling for empowerment and justice for Latinx communities who face significant inequities — particularly those at the intersections of race, gender, immigration status, and other marginalized identities.

This year's theme, The Pulse of Hope: Power and Praxis / El Pulso de la Esperanza: Poder y Praxis / O Pulso da Esperança: Poder e Práxis, reflects a call to action. Drawing on the work of educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, "praxis" — the integration of reflection and action — anchors the conference's commitment to moving beyond inspiration toward organized, community-rooted change.

There is no cost to attend the conference, and all are welcome!

The conference is happening April 15th-17th, both virtually and in-person. Register in the link in our bio, or the one below, and find a full outline on our website: https://www.global.pitt.edu/cesr/programming-initiatives/latinxconnect-conference

LatinxConnect Registration: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9QzwUmaO4J39mJg

To attend the virtual meetings, you must register